Dwight Howard Questions One of Michael Jordan’s Most Famous Myths

Greatest of all time. The ultimate winner. The fiercest competitor. These are just some of the common superlatives used to describe Michael Jordan.

Many accomplishments made the Chicago Bulls icon the GOAT. There are the usual — six NBA championships, undefeated in the Finals, no championship series reaching a Game 7.

Likewise, there are other things that added to his legend. The tongue, the competitive nature, his demanding ways in practice, the hang time, and the 48-inch vertical are just some of them.

But not everyone buys into every story about His Airness. Some players have openly questioned whether every claim about Jordan is accurate.

Dwight Howard Questions Myth About Michael Jordan

Few players in NBA history could match the athleticism of a prime Dwight Howard. At his peak, Howard had one of the highest vertical leaps in the NBA. His dunk contest jam on a 12-foot rim is proof of that. So when it comes to jumping ability, the former Slam Dunk contest champion knows what’s up.

While guesting on the PBD Podcast, Howard, who revealed he had a 39-inch vertical, said that reaching the high 30s and low 40s is incredibly impressive.

This led him to express his skepticism about arguably the most famous myth in basketball lore: Michael Jordan’s 48-inch vertical.

Similar to Howard’s suspicion of Jordan’s jump, many people have also expressed their doubts about Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game because there hasn’t been any proof of it except his iconic picture with the “100” written on a piece of paper.

Jordan’s mythical feat, meanwhile, came to light when the 1984 Olympics reportedly recorded his vertical at 48 inches. However, similar to Wilt’s feat, there is no video evidence to prove their claims.

Howard, who is an eight-time NBA All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year, probably does not mean any harm, and he certainly does not want to be accused as a hater by the MJ fans. But with the way he breaks down his argument, it does seem improbable for anyone, even the greatest of all time, to jump that high.

Even Jordan himself does not know what his actual vertical jump is, as he revealed in a 1993 interview with Larry King. And quite frankly, the Hall of Famer doesn’t really care.

Howard Picks Pippen’s Freethrow Line Dunk Over Jordan’s

Howard’s skepticism of Jordan didn’t stop with the vertical. The former Slam Dunk champion also took a shot at another staple of Air Jordan’s legacy: the freethrow line dunk.

The Bulls superstar won back-to-back Slam Dunk contests in 1987 and 1988 with that legendary slam. He used it to defeat Dominique Wilkins in their epic aerial showdown.

The graceful dunk has been immortalized as arguably the most iconic image of Jordan’s career. That is, in fact, what inspired the Jordan Brand logo. However, Howard argued that Scottie Pippen’s version of the freethrow line dunk was actually better.

The crew replayed both slams side by side to give Howard a chance to double down on his hot take. Pippen just barely grazed the line and maybe had a toe on it. Meanwhile, Jordan’s attempt showed half of his foot clearly over the charity stripe.

At the end of the day, Jordan’s legend is so untouchable that even debates like these only add to his mystique. Whether it’s his 48-inch leap or the freethrow line dunk, the stories just keep flying higher — just like His Airness himself.

Howard’s playful and joking nature makes it hard to know when he’s being serious. But he did his job in sparking fresh debates about some of the most iconic pieces of Air Jordan folklore.